Yeah i forget how old the game is at this point.

If you are interested in picking it up here is a short guide: Use your science vessel to explore (not survey) the area around you first, until you meet alien empires or there are enemies in the way. Then survey a route to good choke points where you can use star bases to defend from other empires. Your empire should look somewhat like a sausage, ignoring star systems that other empires cant reach at first. You can claim those later. The first ship you build, should be another science vessel, because staking your empire early on is important to keep the other empires at bay. Go for a third science vessel soonish.

Concentrate on building industrial districts for alloys (make your world a forge world). Get enough mineral production for your building needs. Everything else can be balanced around 0 (no loss/no huge gains). Alloys are worth a lot until very late in the game when there is too much peace, so you can always trade for what you need. If the need for consumer goods arises you can always change the world into a normal capital again (and then forge capital once the need is gone).

Try to not to have open jobs or jobless people (keeping 1 to 2 open positions is advised).

Science is important and engineering is by far the most important branch so get as much of that as possible.

Colonize planets that have 60% or better habitability and a size of 14 or more districts as soon as possible.

Only build fleet if you have to. Ships before the cruisers are not really good.